What Not To Feed Your Pet

If you own a cute pet (and we bet you do) the chances are that at times it’s hard to say no.

This challenge will often be two-fold when they’re begging for food—and often it’ll be human food they’re after.

So, there are heaps of things that our pets can’t eat. They’ll eat them all right, mostly to feed their curious natures, although certain foods can make them sick, even deathly so.

We’ve put together a useful guide for what your pets can and can’t eat. Some foods can poison your pets and others can even rupture their organs. If you’ve ever wondered what foods are dangerous, then you’ve come to the right place.

Avocado isn’t so healthy for pets.

While avocado is fantastic for the health conscious amongst us, it’s a big no-no for our four-legged companions.

Parts of the avocado contain an oil-soluble toxin called persin. Persin can cause big problems for larger animals such as horses and cattle, but there’s no proof that it can cause serious health issues for dogs and cats.

What you will notice, however, is that if your pet eats an avocado, they will most likely get an upset stomach, possibly leading to diarrhoea. The avocado’s pit, if consumed, can also be the cause of a gastrointestinal obstruction.

Too much yeast can spell disaster.

Yeast, found in raw bread dough can be very dangerous to your pet.

Yeast expanding in your pet’s stomach can cause a number of problems.

Growing stomach may lose blood supply, killing the tissue

Alcohols can be produced that may poison your pet

Expansion of the stomach can cause breathing difficulties

A rupturing of the stomach may occur in serious examples

If your pet ever gets stuck into your baking, it’s a good idea to get into contact with your vet as soon as possible.

Garlic doesn’t just cause bad breath.

Onions, garlic and other similar vegetables should never be eaten by your pets. This includes shallots.

While it is uncommon that a dog or cat will end up eating any serious amount of garlic or onions, in a concentrated form the damage can be quite serious. Things such as garlic paste, now common in supermarkets, is especially dangerous.

These vegetables can cause serious damage to your pet’s red blood cells, causing anaemia. You may not notice anything straight away, but after a few days your pet’s urine may turn a rusty red colour. If this happens, seek assistance right away.

But you can have some of my milk…

Chocolate, we’re sure, won’t came as any surprise to you. It’s been a big no-no for years and the truth is that chocolate can kill your dog.

In short, chocolate is a toxin to dogs and should be avoided at all costs. For more detailed info on just how much chocolate can cause your dog harm, check out our recent article on chocolate and dogs.

If your dog is small or medium-sized, eating any amount of chocolate could potentially cause harm. See the vet for help immediately.

Grapes and raisins—delicious, but bad news.

Grapes and raisins have been linked to sever kidney failure in some dogs and cats. Even though cases have been linked, the causes for such a reaction aren’t obvious to health professionals.

While some dogs and cats can happily eat grapes without the onset of any real negative health impacts, other pets have ended up with serious kidney and liver problems.

You’ll know if something’s wrong if you notice these symptoms.

If you notice any of these signs after your pet has eaten grapes or raisins, it’s important to see the vet.

Keep them away from your morning brew.

While it’s not something they’ll usually get stuck into, your pet shouldn’t be eating or drinking coffee in any form.

Coffee is toxic for pets in the same way that chocolate is. Not only is it toxic, but the high levels of caffeine in coffee will have a similar effect on your pet to that of humans. If your pet gets used to consuming coffee, stopping the habit can be quite difficult and they will likely experience withdrawals from the stimulant.

If you’re keen to take your dog out to dog-friendly cafés, there are a number that provide special coffee-free ‘puppuccino’ for your pooch.

Some pets go nuts for macadamias.

Okay, so these things are delicious, we know, but not such a good idea for our pets. Just like grapes and raisins, vets aren’t quite sure why they’re toxic to dogs and cats, or why some pets won’t have a negative reaction.

Some symptoms of macadamia poisoning include:

If your pet isn’t feeling well after eating macadamia nuts, it’s best not to risk it—see a vet straight away and get your pet checked out.

Alcohol can really kill your pet’s buzz.

This is a no-brainer for the most of us—alcohol is a pretty serious drug and can cause big health problems in humans, let alone our pets.

Our dogs and cats will become intoxicated much faster and after consuming far less alcohol than humans. Alcohol poisoning is a serious concern if your pet has drunk alcohol, even if you believe it to be not a great amount.

Xylitol isn’t the sweetest meal for pets.

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener used in sugar-free chewing gum, as well as a number of sugar-free baked products.

It won’t affect the blood sugar levels of humans, however when it comes to dogs, ingestion of xylitol can lead to a rapid and severe drop in blood sugar levels.

Some dogs that eat large amounts of xylitol can develop liver failure. Others may become quickly disorientated and have a seizure. If your dog has eaten confectionary that contains xylitol, an emergency visit to the vet is necessary.

Any advice provided is general only, has been prepared without taking in to account your objectives, financial situation or needs and may not be right for you. Consequently, before acting on this information, you should consider the appropriateness of this information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. You should obtain and consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) in deciding whether to acquire or continue to hold, Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance.

2 The 2 months free offer entitles you to the equivalent of 2 months free premium over the first year of cover. The discount will be spread over the course of the first year and deducted from the standard monthly payment. This offer only applies to new policies for eligible pets under the age of 12 months and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. We may revoke this offer at any time without notice to you.3 Offer only eligible to policy holders who continue to hold their policy after the 21-day cooling off period has ended. Offer also applies each policy year where you change your contact details or your pet’s tag is lost. Limit of one (1) Pet ID Tag per policy year.4 As long as you continue to renew your policy and there are no breaks, lapse or change in the level of cover after your pet reaches the age of 9 (subject to the applicable terms and conditions).5 You may apply for a review of a Pre-existing Condition exclusion after 18 months of the original policy Commencement Date and provided your vet has verified your Pet has been free from clinical signs, symptoms or recurrence of the Pre-existing Condition. For more details refer to the Product Disclosure Statement.6 According to productreview.com.au7 Refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for details of Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance cover.8 Only applies to treatments under the optional Routine Care cover. Refer to the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.9 Refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for further details.10 Terms and conditions apply. Refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for further details.11 Excluding pre-existing conditions.12 For more information about our policy options and any terms and conditions, refer to the Product Disclosure Statement.13 This is an example only. Not all conditions and treatment will be covered. Refer to the Product Disclosure Statement for details of Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance cover.14 This is based on how Bow Wow Meow policy holders have insured their pets from 1/10/2017 – 30/09/2018.15 Most common health issues for this pet/breed from 1/10/2017 – 30/09/2018.16 This is based on Bow Wow Meow policy holders who made claims for this pet/breed from 1/10/2017 – 30/09/2018.